B.—l [PT. IVI.

LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT—GENERAL ACCOUNT—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1927. Liabilities. Assets. Capital— £ s. d. £ s. d. Land— £ s. d. £ s. d. Interest-bearing .. 49,642 13 0 Leased .. .. 5,393,897 14 4 Non-interest-bearing .. 7,053,054 5 6 Unleased .. .. 1,573,292 18 11 7,102,696 18 6 6,967,190 13 3 Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account (merged Unpaid purchase-price not yet interests under section 20, Discharged Soldiers payable— Settlement Amendment Act, 1923) .. 27,955 15 0 Buildings .. .. 7,053 12 5 Public Works Fund .. .. .. 291 17 6 Improvements .. .. 738 12 6 Sundry creditors— 7,792 4 11 Principal instalments under section 20, Dis- Plant on Kapiti Island— charged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Buildings .. .. 530 0 0 Act, 1923 .. .. .. .. 376 15 8 Machinery and equipment 143 10 0 Interest under section 20, Discharged Soldiers 673 10 0 Settlement Amendment Act, 1923 .. 1,484 18 2 Machinery and instruments .. .. 21,736 0 6 Unpaid miscellaneous services .. .. 3,332 5 0 Motor-vehicles .. .. .. .. 2,156 8 3 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 2,433 13 3 Bicycle .. .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 Payments in advance— .. .. .. Furniture and fittings .. .. .. 18,035 18 4 Rents .. .. .. .. .. 10,085 7 2 Lithographs .. .. .. .. 27,912 19 4 Royalties .. .. .. .. 15 15 3 Advances — £ s. d. Interest on sales of Crown land .. .. 39 0 5 Grass-seed and road access 4,518 0 7 Miscellaneous office fees .. .. ... 9 4 8 Kauri-gum .. .. 5,000 0 0 Rents, &c., charged in advance .. .. 65,201 9 6 9,518 0 7 Depreciation reserve .. .. .. 13,219 13 3 Payments out of Consolidated Fund on account Writings-off in Suspense .. .. .. 3,721 19 4 of compensation for improvements .. 2,748 14 4 Treasury adjustment .. .. .. 89,531 14 0 Suspense Account (cost of providing access) .. 17 19 6 Revenue Account — £ s. d. Sundry debtors — £ s. d. General Account ... 5,675 511 Rents .. .. .. 93,148 16 2 Thermal Springs District Act, * Less reserve for irrecoverable 1910 .. .. .. 8,312 2 3 rents .. .. 1,000 0 0 Mining District Land Occupa- 92,148 16 2 tion .. .. .. 1,721 18 11 Royalties .. .. .. .. 5,875 6 7 15,709 7 1 Principal instalments on buildings .. .. 934 3 8 Interest on sales of land .. .. .. 4,933 111 Interest on advances .. .. .. 77 13 3 Miscellaneous office fees .. .. .. 731 10 8 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 4,919 8 11 Postponements—Rents .. .. .. 15,212 311 Preliminary expenses Kauri-gum Control Board 34 5 9 Sundry debtors outstanding (amounts accrued but not yet due) — Royalties .. .. .. .. 118 0 0 Interest on sales, &c. .. .. .. 3,262 1 9 Unexpired railway season-tickets .. .. 355 0 0 Losses in suspense .. .. .. 3,721 19 4 Revaluation Board determinations— Reductions in capital value .. .. 100,762 2 4 Remissions of rent .. .. .. 18,946 11 6 Rent written off .. .. .. 10,998 19 3 Committee expenses .. .. .. 5,160 210 Cash in suspense .. . . .. .. 25 8 10 Local bodies' deposit accounts of sundry Receivers of Land Revenue — Mining district land occupation £ s. d. rents .. .. .. 1,771 3 6 Cash in Public Account— Thermal Springs District Act, 1910, Deposit Account .. .. 8,315 4 7 10,086 8 1 £7,336,105 13 9 £7,336,105 13 9 Contingent Liability.—£2,ooo, being balance purchase - price of Stewart Island held by the Crown and on which interest at 8 per cent, is being paid in accordance with agreement entered into with the then Native owners in 1864. J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary for Lands. 31st October, 1927. J. H. O'Donnell, Controller of Accounts. I hereby certify that the Statement of Receipts and Payments, Revenue Account, and balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby, subject to the above departmental notes. The following comments are appended : (1) In the case of the District Land Offices of North Auckland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, the departmental figures have been accepted pending the completion of the examination by the Audit Inspectors. (2) Expenditure under the New Plymouth Endowment Act, 1874, totalling £4,153 lis. 3d., should, in the opinion of the Audit Office, be included in the Revenue Account and shown as a charge against rents. (3) Capital account is overstated (a) by the total amount of loading for roads, &c., (b) by £2,000 balance of principal unpaid for the purchase of lands in Stewart Island. (4) Instalments of principal included in loan-repayments should not, in the opinion of the Audit Office, be a revenue charge. (5) Separate capital liability bearing interest and sinking-fund charges is not shown for expenditure in Crown lands under the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905.— G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

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